Kjerstin's research broadly explores the relationship between physical appearance and social inequality, with a particular focus on gender as it intersects with race/ethnicity, class, sexuality, and age. She has specific expertise in: (1) Labor Market Inequality & "Aesthetic Labor," (2) Intersections between Bodies/Embodiment and Cultural Markets, and (3) How News Reporting on Obesity & Eating Disorders Shapes Prejudice and Health Behaviors.Her research - empirically grounded through ethnography, in-depth interviews, content analysis, and the occasional experiment - has been published in Social Problems and Social Science & Medicine, among others. Prior to earning her PhD from UCLA (2014), Kjerstin worked as a merchandiser in the corporate offices of two multi-national fashion firms. She is currently developing a book manuscript, tentatively titled:True to Size?: A Social History of Clothing Size Standards in the U.S. Fashion Industry.